Contemplations upon the remarkable passages in the life of the holy Jesus by Joseph Hall.

V. The Purification.

THere could be no impurity in the Son of God; and if the best substance of a pure Virgin carried in it any taint of Adam, that was scoured away by sanctification in the womb; and yet the Son would be circumcised, and the Mother purified. He that came to be sin for us, would in our persons be legally unclean, that, by satisfying the Law, he might take away our uncleanness. Though he were

exempted from the common condition of our birth, yet he would not deliver himself from those ordinary rites that im∣plied the weaknesse and blemishes of Humanity. He would fulfill one Law to abrogate it, another to satisfie it. He that was above the Law, would come under the Law, to free us from the Law. Not a day would be changed, either in the Circumcision of Christ, or the Purification of Mary. Here was neither convenience of place, nor of necessaries for so painfull a work, in the Stable of Bethlehem: yet he that made and gave the Law, will rather keep it with difficulty, then transgresse it with ease.

Why wouldest thou, O Blessed Saviour, suffer that sacred Foreskin to be cut off, but that, by the power of thy Cir∣cumcision, the same might be done to our Souls that was done to thy Body? We cannot be therefore thine, if our hearts be uncircumcised. Doe thou that in us which was done to thee for us; cut off the superfluitie of our malicious∣nesse, that we may be holy in and by thee, which for us wert content to be legally impure.

There was shame in thy Birth, there was pain in thy Cir∣cumcision. After a contemptible welcome into the world, that a sharp Rasour should passe through thy skin for our sakes, (which can hardly endure to bleed for our own,) it was the praise of thy wonderfull mercy, in so early Humi∣liation. What pain or contempt should we refuse for thee, that hast made no spare of thy self for us? Now is Bethlehem left with too much honour; there is Christ born, adored, circumcised. No sooner is the Blessed Virgin either able or allowed to walk then she travels to Jerusalem, to perform her holy Rites for her self, for her Son; to purifie her self, to present her Son. She goes not to her own house at Naza∣reth, she goes to God's House at Jerusalem. If Purifying were a shadow, yet Thanksgiving is a substance. Those whom God hath blessed with fruit of body, and safety of deliverance, if they make not their first journey to the Tem∣ple of God, they partake more of the Unthankfullnesse of Eve, then Marie's Devotion.

Her forty days therefore were no sooner out, then Mary comes up to the holy City. The rumour of a new King born at Bethlehem was yet fresh at Jerusalem since the report of the Wise men: and what good news had this been for any pick-thank to carry to the Court, Here is the Babe whom the Star signified, whom the Sages inquired for, whom the Angels proclaimed, whom the Shepherds talkt of, whom the Scribes and High priests notified, whom Herod seeks after? Yet unto that Jerusalem, which was troubled at the report of his Birth, is Christ come, and all tongues are so lockt up, that he which sent from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to seek him finds him not, who (as to countermine Herod) is come from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. Dangers that are aloof off, and but possible, may not hinder us from the duty of our Devotion. God saw it not yet time to let loose the fury of his adversaries, whom he holds up like some eager mastives, and then onely lets goe, when they shall most shame themselves, and glorifie him.

Well might the Blessed Virgin have wrangled with the Law, and challenged an immunity from all ceremonies of Purification. What should I need purging, which did not conceive in sin? This is for those mothers whose births are unclean; mine is from God, which is purity it self. The Law of Moses reaches onely to those women which have conceived seed; I conceived not this seed, but the Holy Ghost in me. The Law extends to the mothers of those sons which are under the Law; mine is above it. But, as one that cared more for her peace then her privilege, and more desired to be free from offence then from labour and charge, she dutifully fulfills the Law of that God whom she carried in her womb and in her arms: like the Mother of him, who, though he knew the children of the Kingdome free, yet would pay tribute unto Caesar: like the Mother of him, whom it behoved to fulfill all righteousnesse. And if she were so officious in Ceremonies, as not to admit of any excuse in the very Circumstance of her Obedience, how much

more strict was she in the main Duties of morality? That Soul is fit for the Spirituall conception of Christ, that is con∣scioanbly scrupulous in observing all God's Commandments; whereas he hates all alliance to a negligent or froward Heart.

The Law of Purification proclaims our Uncleannesse: The mother is not allowed after her child-birth to come un∣to the Sanctuary, or to touch any hallowed thing, till her set time be expired. What are we, whose very birth infects the mother that bears us? At last she comes to the Temple; but with Sacrifices, either a Lamb and a Pigeon or Turtle, or (in the meaner estate) two Turtle-doves or young Pi∣geons; whereof one is for a Burnt-offering, the other for a Sin-offering; the one for Thanksgiving, the other for Expiation; for expiation of a double sin, of the mother that conceived, of the child that was conceived. We are all born sinners, and it is a just question, whether we do more infect the world, or the world us. They are grosse flatterers of nature that tell her she is clean. If our lives had no sin, we bring enough with us: the very infant, that lives not to sin as Adam, yet sinned in Adam, and is sinfull in himself. But oh the unspeakable mercy of our God! we provide the Sin, he provides the Remedy. Behold an Ex∣piation well-near as early as our Sin: the bloud of a young Lamb or Dove, yea rather the bloud of Him whose inno∣cence was represented by both, cleanseth us presently from our filthinesse. First went Circumcision, then came the Sa∣crifice; that, by two holy acts, that which was naturally unholy might be hallowed unto God. Under the Gospell our Baptism hath the force of both: it does away our cor∣ruption by the Water of the Spirit; it applies to us the Sa∣crifice of Christ's Bloud, whereby we are cleansed. Oh that we could magnifie this goodnesse of our God, which hath not left our very infancy without redresse, but hath provi∣ded helps whereby we may be delivered from the danger of our hereditary evils.

Such is the favourable respect of our wise God, that he

would not have us undoe our selves with Devotion: the service he requires of us is ruled by our abilities. Every poor mother was not able to bring a Lamb for her offering: there was none so poor but might procure a pair of Turtles or Pigeons. These doth God both prescribe, and accept from poorer hands, no lesse then the beasts of a thousand mountains: He looks for somewhat of every one, not of every one alike. Since it is he that makes differences of a∣bilities, (to whom it were as easie to make all rich,) his mercy will make no difference in the acceptation. The truth and heartiness of Obedience is that which he will crown in his meanest servants. A Mite from the poor wi∣dow is more worth to him then the Talents of the wealthy.

After all the presents of those Eastern Worshippers, (who intended rather homage then ditation,) the Blessed Virgin comes in the form of poverty with her two Doves unto God. She could not without some charge lie all this while at Bethlehem, she could not without charge travell from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. Her offering confesseth her Penu∣ry. The best are not ever the wealthiest. Who can de∣spise any one for want, when the Mother of Christ was not rich enough to bring a Lamb for her purification? We may be as happy in russet, as in tissue.

While the Blessed Virgin brought her Son into the Tem∣ple with that pair of Doves, here were more Doves then a pair: They for whose sake that Offering was brought, were more Doves, then the Doves that were brought for that Offering. Her Son, for whom she brought that Dove to be sacrificed, was that Sacrifice which the Dove represented. There was nothing in him but perfection of innocence, and the oblation of him is that whereby all mothers and sons are fully purified. Since in our selves we cannot be inno∣cent, happy are we, if we can have the spotless Dove sacri∣ficed for us, to make us innocent in him.

The Blessed Virgin had more business in the Temple then her own; she came, as to purifie her self, so to present her

Son. Every male that first opened the womb was holy unto the Lord. He that was the Son of God by eternal gene∣ration before times, and by miraculous conception in time, was also by common course of nature consecrate unto God. It is fit the Holy Mother should present God with his own: Her first-born was the first-born of all creatures. It was he, whose Temple it was that he was presented in, to whom all the first-born of all creatures were consecrated, by whom they were accepted; and now is he brought in his mother's arms to his own House, and as Man is presented to himself as God. If Moses had never written a Law of God's special propriety in the first-born, this Son of God's Essence and Love had taken possession of the Temple; his right had been a perfect Law to himself: Now his obe∣dience to that Law, which himself had given, doth no less call him thither, then the challenge of his peculiar interest.

He that was the Lord of all creatures, ever since he struck the first-born of the Egyptians, requires the first male of all creatures, both man and beast, to be dedicated to him: wherein God caused a miraculous event to second nature, which seems to challenge the first and best for the Maker. By this rule, God should have had his service done onely by the Heirs of Israel: But since God, for the honour and remuneration of Levi, had chosen out that Tribe to mi∣nister unto him, now the first-born of all Israel must be pre∣sented to God as his due, but by allowance redeemed to their parents. As for Beasts, the first male of the clean beasts must be sacrificed, of unclean exchanged for a price. So much morality is there in this constitution of God, that the best of all kinds is fit to be consecrated to the Lord of all. Every thing we have is too good for us, if we think any thing we have too good for him.

How glorious did the Temple now seem, that the Owner was within the walls of it? Now was the hour and guest come, in regard whereof the second Temple should sur∣pass

the first: this was his House built for him, dedicated to him; there had he dwelt long in his spiritual Presence, in his typicall. There was nothing either placed or done within those walls whereby he was not resembled; and now the Body of those Shadows is come, and presents him∣self where he had been ever represented. Jerusalem is now every-where: There is no Church, no Christian heart, which is not a Temple of the living God: There is no Temple of God wherein Christ is not presented to his Fa∣ther. Look upon him (O God) in whom thou art well pleased, and in him and for him be well pleased with us.

Under the Gospel we are all first-born, all heirs; every Soul is to be holy unto the Lord; we are a Royal genera∣tion, an holy Priesthood. Our Baptism, as it is our Cir∣cumcision, and our sacrifice of Purification, so is it also our Presentation unto God. Nothing can become us but Holiness. O God, to whom we are devoted, serve thy self of us, glorifie thy self by us, till we shall by thee be glorified with thee.